Major Cuts coming from NCDOT

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Apparently NC Legislature is considering cutting more than a billion dollars from the NCDOT. For the major metros this is going to result in significant delays in many road projects. The budget they are considering looks like this.

Charlotte (5 counties) - lose $109 million, -10%

Raleigh - Durham - lose $198 million, -18.7%

Greensboro (5 counties) - lose $283 million, -26.8%

Since this is going to result in significant delays in many major projects, I wonder if this will force the metros to adopt even more restrictions on sprawling development?

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In the Charlotte area this immediately delays the completion of the outer beltway by years. The all important northern connector between I-85 & I-77 would not start construction until 2011, extra lanes on the southern section not until after 2012, and further freeway conversion of Independance will be delayed more.

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Do the figure on those budget numbers. All three areas get roughly the same amount of funding even though there is a very noticible difference in the size of the city and the requirements.

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You're right, the size of the city and the requirements are very different. I bet that the highway funds are divvied up based on population, though, so it makes sense to me for the three major MSAs in NC to get roughly the same amount of highway funds. While Greensboro is a much smaller city than Charlotte, the population of the Triad is quite comparable to the Charlotte metro area.

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From what i know, the reason for cutting funds from the major cities is to evenly distribute money to all 16 NCDOT divisions. The big winners from the funding cuts are rural areas that receive more money.

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From what i know, the reason for cutting funds from the major cities is to evenly distribute money to all 16 NCDOT divisions. The big winners from the funding cuts are rural areas that receive more money.

Yes. The formula which determines much of the road funding for NC is called the equity formula, which distributes money evenly 1/2 based on population and 1/2 equal share (similar to US House and US Senate representation in Congress). The problem arose when certain projects in the east were not ready to be built on time, so the decision was made to send the money elsewhere to build projects that were in need of funds. Now the money must be repaid.

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From what i know, the reason for cutting funds from the major cities is to evenly distribute money to all 16 NCDOT divisions. The big winners from the funding cuts are rural areas that receive more money.

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Great. I look forward to all those controlled access freeways connecting the high-traffic areas of Greenville, Kinston and Goldsboro. You never know, someone might actually need to go to the Global TransPark and see the empty fields there.

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Great. I look forward to all those controlled access freeways connecting the high-traffic areas of Greenville, Kinston and Goldsboro. You never know, someone might actually need to go to the Global TransPark and see the empty fields there.

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EXCELLENT NEWS! I knew this was coming... The state underestimated the cost of new projects and the cost of maintaining existing systems. I hope, but don't believe, that a more common-sensical approach will emerge from the current fiscal conundrum. I hope that NC's leaders' will look back and borrow from the state's progressive history of transportation planning (which got us here in the first place...), learn from these lessons, and proceed, to create the nation's most comprehensive transportation network. It's not impossible.